British No. 1 Jack Draper’s hopes of a deep Wimbledon run were dashed once more after a shock second-round defeat to veteran Marin Čilić on Thursday.
The 23-year-old fourth seed fell 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 to the 36-year-old Croat, who is ranked 83rd in the world and was playing just his second Grand Slam since returning from a long-term knee injury. The result means Draper has still never advanced beyond the second round in any of his four appearances at the All England Club.
Draper, viewed as Britain’s great hope in the post-Andy Murray era and considered among the favourites for this year’s title behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic, was visibly emotional in his post-match press conference.
“Obviously [I feel] really upset. Probably one of the toughest losses I feel,” Draper said.
“I thought Čilić played an incredible match from start to finish. He didn’t let up. He deserved the win.”
Missed Opportunity for Draper
Draper entered the tournament as the fourth seed — a milestone in his young career — following a strong showing at Queen’s where he reached the semi-finals. That seeding meant he would avoid Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic until the semifinals.
After a commanding first-round win over Argentina’s Sebastián Báez — who retired after two sets — Draper looked poised to make a statement at his home Slam. But Čilić, the 2014 US Open champion and 2017 Wimbledon finalist, had other plans.
The Croat imposed his experience and aggressive baseline play from the outset, keeping Draper pinned deep behind the baseline and targeting his backhand with relentless depth and power.
Draper, facing the challenge of coming back from two sets down for the first time in his career, found brief respite in the third set as Čilić’s level dipped. But the Briton failed to fully capitalise, and a tense fourth set saw him broken while serving to stay in the match — a moment made more frustrating after a disputed call by the electronic line-calling system.
“I don’t think it’s 100% accurate, in all honesty,” Draper said.
“A couple of the calls today showed marks on the court — but I saw chalk fly up. I think it’s a shame that line umpires aren’t involved anymore.”
Despite flashes of the talent that propelled him to the world No. 4 ranking, Draper’s inconsistency and Čilić’s experience proved decisive. The defeat delays the Briton’s long-awaited Wimbledon breakthrough, often described as his potential “Murray moment” — referencing the iconic 2008 comeback by Andy Murray against Richard Gasquet.
Emotional Return for Cilic
For Čilić, the victory marked an emotional milestone in a remarkable comeback journey. After a serious knee injury and two surgeries, including a second operation in May 2024, many thought the Croatian’s career was effectively over. Instead, the former world No. 3 battled back through the ATP Challenger circuit, winning a title in Nottingham last month to rebuild confidence on grass.
“My emotions are just incredible. Where I was two years ago, I can’t even describe,” said Čilić, who now moves into the third round.
“It has been a long journey. A huge challenge at this stage of my career to come back and play at this level.”
The veteran’s resilience and composure under pressure reminded Wimbledon fans why he remains a dangerous player on grass — and left Britain’s top hope once again searching for answers.